“When the Lights Come On”

Superman & Lois continues to explore the threat Lex represents as Jonathan steps up his heroics and Sarah considers a major life change.

Superhero TV shows on the CW typically build their seasons around a central villain that the hero must deal with. In the days of 22-episode seasons, the antagonist was developed over the whole run and would form a personal connection to the hero to make the stakes more personal. Superman & Lois hasn’t stuck slavishly to that approach, but the bones of the structure can be found in every season. This season changes up the typical formula slightly by building itself around a villain that has a pre-existing connection with the characters. That connection predates the show, but it underpins almost everything that happens.

The pre-existing connection is handled well so the audience never feels that they are missing key information. Flashbacks and dialogue flesh out what happened between them years prior and the fact that it’s Superman and Lex Luthor fills in some of the blanks due to how iconic those characters are in pop culture.

This show still has to put its own stamp on the characters and it certainly succeeds in doing so. I’ve repeatedly praised Superman & Lois for being a unique take on the Superman mythos and that extends to its version of Lex Luthor. One of the remarkable things is that this iteration of Lex isn’t a maniacal genius or a savvy businessman like other interpretations. He wasn’t imprisoned for a large-scale supervillain plot; it was the murder of one person that was able to be linked to them. There is also the sense that his plans weren’t as grandiose as might be expected for an adaptation of Lex Luthor. He was certainly involved in enough to be considered one of the greatest criminal elements in existence, but he wasn’t trying to obliterate cities to make his land more valuable or similar diabolical schemes. This sets this version apart and makes him more of a grounded and believable figure.

He is still the CEO of a company but isn’t directly involved in the running of it nor is he a public figure presenting a false image to a clueless populace while running his illicit dealings. His company is run by others while he stays out of the public eye as he concentrates on his own interests. In terms of personality, he’s brutal and intimidating with no interest in appearing affable to anyone. His only concern is ensuring no illegal activities can be traced back to him which doesn’t require appearing to be a nice person. It’s a strong modern spin on the character that glancingly alludes to some real-life prominent billionaires without being a direct reference to them.

Lex’s current obsession is getting his revenge on Lois Lane and, by extension, her family. Recently learning the Kent family secret created the perfect opportunity to attack the two people he hates most at the same time. There has always been a strong public link between Superman and Lois Lane that could be exploited but Lex knowing the truth creates many more opportunities to torment them and gives him a significant advantage as he could simply out that secret to the world and destroy their lives.

This episode picks up with Lex on the back foot. In the previous episode, Lois was able to remove Doomsday as a resource Lex can use to attack the Kents and his daughter told him she doesn’t want him in her life if he can’t let go of his obsession with Lois and her family. As this episode opens the only thing Lex has left -except from his successful company- is his obsession and he has fully committed to it. The opening scene depicts him embracing his rage and burning all reminders of Elizabeth as something of a cleansing ritual to symbolise his complete fixation on his goal of destroying the Kents. It’s likely this is an overcompensation concealing considerable emotional anguish at losing the most important person in his life bit it’s certainly clear that Lex is fully committed to the road he is on and fully intends to see it through to whatever the conclusion may be.

His obsession is seeping into every aspect of his life -as they tend to do- and he is dragging everyone down with him. He plans to relocate Luthorcorp to Smallville as a power play and a message to the Kents that there’s nothing they can do to be rid of him. He will put down roots in their town and will always be towering above them. This naturally makes those invested in making his company a success very nervous as they can’t see the business sense in relocating the company’s headquarters to Smallville. Whether that will present a legitimate challenge to Lex or if it’s simply further evidence that his obsession has blinded him to other considerations.

Moving the company’s headquarters to Smallville ends up not being an issue -in this episode at least- as he is driven out of Smallville when his offer to acquire the land to build on is rejected. Lana has a vested interest in ensuring Lex doesn’t get a foothold in Smallville due to her friendship with Lois and Clark but it’s also in her interests as Mayor as it’s likely Lex’s influence in the town will spread and transform it beyond recognition. As a community, they have reason to be wary of billionaires taking an interest in their town after the Morgan Edge situation in the first season and it’s clear that Lex Luthor’s intentions are anything but honourable.

Aidy’s (Monique Phillips) rejection of the offer comes after Lana and Clark convince her to consider the wider impact of selling her land to Lex Luthor is an impressive display of small-town spirit. Lex offers a massive sum of money to her and everyone else present in exchange for the land, but Aidy is urged to reject it because it doesn’t feel right. They collectively decide to uphold their principles and support their community rather than let Lex Luthor gain a foothold in their town and the result is that Lex is driven out of Smallville. It’s an inspiring moment that highlights some things in life are more important than money and, for the people of Smallville, their way of life is worth more to them than any sum of money.

It’s notable that Aidy is inspired to turn down Lex’s offer after Clark asks her to. She is more amenable to the request because it’s coming from Superman rather than the son of Martha Kent as Lana had intended. It’s evident that more residents of Smallville know the truth about Clark and everyone’s reaction is to keep it to themselves. They recognise Clark as part of their community and have quietly pledged to protect his secret while respecting his decision to keep it. There is some awkwardness such as Denise’s elevated heart rate when serving Clark in a store but that seems to be triggered by a desire to not treat him any differently rather than being afraid of him. It’s another strong example of small-town spirit and a clear display of community.

The issue with this is the same that has always existed in this show; Smallville as a location and a community has never been well developed. There are recurring background characters to help sell the notion that it’s a small town but there has been very little exploration of how the community functions and where the Kents fit into that. Without that grounding it’s difficult to fully invest in the idea of everyone coming together to quietly protect Clark’s secret. It’s handled well in the context of this episode, but it also serves to highlight historic issues with this aspect of the show.

Another issue is the truncated season not allowing the time necessary to fully develop this plot. A longer season could allow more time to more organically show various residents of Smallville reacting to the knowledge of the truth about Clark and his family. In fairness, it has been seeded fairly well as a background element but the relevance ramping up to this degree in this episode is jarring, regardless of the reasons for it.

It’s looking increasingly likely that the prediction made in my previous review will come to pass. Superman & Lois could end with the secret identity being a thing of the past and the whole world being aware of who Superman really is. If done well, it could be a bold and interesting conclusion for this unique take on the mythos even if there’s no need to actually follow up on it though it’s possible this will happen before the final episode so that some time can be devoted to exploring what a world where Superman abandons his secret identity might look like.

Despite the issues with organically developing the idea of small-town spirit, it’s clear that the people of Smallville have managed to drive Lex out and prove that they have no power over him. The end of the episode shows that Lex hasn’t been dissuaded from his obsession and is recalibrating after recent losses.

His attack on Lana is a desperate move that seems to come out of spite. It’s unlikely to lead to the outcome of getting what he wants but it’s a statement about what happens when people cross him. It’s also a display of how untouchable he feels and how dangerous he is when committed to a specific outcome. It’s a visceral attack as it proves to Lana and Sarah just how unsafe they are regardless of the precautions taken. Lex makes it clear that the security system installed by John is not something he’s concerned about, and he proves it when he easily subverts it. It should be noted that it has never been defined what the security system actually does as it seems to be nothing more than a panel on the kitchen wall.

Lex isn’t entirely untouchable as he is confronted twice. The only significant challenge brought to Lex from those who work for him is from Amanda. She’s an interesting character as, unlike most, she isn’t afraid of Lex so has no problem calling him out on his obsession. Since she ran the company during Lex’s incarceration, she feels that she deserves more consideration and has earned the right to full transparency from Lex. She is still intimidated by him and takes his ultimatum to choose him or else very seriously. Ultimately, she chooses him and continues to enable his obsession with a suggestion on what his next move should be.

There is a potentially compelling dynamic here that has received some attention but needs further development to reach its full potential. More detail is needed on the particulars of their relationship such as how she came to be in such a position of trust. There are hints that their connection runs deeper than her being one of his most valued employees, but nothing is confirmed currently. It’s certainly worth exploring how she got to the point of being able to challenge Lex without fear of suffering his wrath.

The other challenge comes from Clark who reaches his breaking point after the attack on Lana and Sarah. He loudly calls Lex out and gives into his anger when approaching him. It’s a great scene made up of a strong contrast between Lex and Clark’s temperament. Lex is perfectly calm and knows he has the power in what turns out to be more ways than one. He has set a trap for Clark by installing red sun radiation emitters in the streetlights to depower him and level the playing field in a one-on-one fight.

This is very much a victory for Lex, as Clark plays right into his hands and loses control. He knows that his campaign of harassment and intimidation is working, which gives him power over Clark. It also likely means that Clark isn’t thinking clearly about what he is facing, which provides Lex with another advantage.

There’s a sense of catharsis on Clark’s part when bathed in the red sun radiation as he can fight Lex without worrying about his powers making the confrontation uneven. Tyler Hoechlin plays it as if Clark has wanted to throw a punch for a long time and feels a degree of freedom now that he can finally do so. Everyone would argue that Superman is supposed to be above petty displays like this, but the point is that recent events coupled with the relentless attack on his family, friends and community from Lex have pushed him beyond breaking point and he lashes out in a way that is far from his best self. Even when badly beaten, Lex taunts Clark by declaring that the moral high ground that Superman represents is a façade and he has revealed the real Superman. This gives Lex further leverage on his ongoing campaign to destroy the Kents as he now knows it’s possible to get under Clark’s skin and provoke him into being careless.

On a more positive note, confronting Lex in the first place is in character behaviour for Clark. He doesn’t tolerate bullies and won’t let their actions go unchallenged. It’s similar to him confronting Candice’s father about hitting Jonathan in that Clark Kent will not shy away from ensuring someone knows when they have done wrong and insists on making them answer for their actions. In this case, he lost control of the situation and was overcome by anger but his motivation was perfectly on point for him. The subsequent scene where he licks his wounds and expresses regret for things playing out the way they did is also perfectly in character. The visual of Clark bruised and bloody is striking and feeds naturally into the new normal he’s adjusting to after his resurrection.

The latest unexpected consequence of this outside of his reduced powers is that there are now visible signs of ageing. Lois teases him about having a bit of grey in his hair and Clark immediately becomes self-conscious about it to the point that he buys hair dye. This is initially played for laughs and the episode handles the comedy well by keeping it understated and allowing Tyler Hoechlin’s performance to carry it. The comedy is tempered by some serious analysis that feeds into the anxieties Clark has about his resurrection. He’s already struggling with losing strength, reduced hearing and feeling pain -however mild- and adding physical ageing into the mix intensifies the fear he’s experiencing. This is completely new territory for Clark as he has never felt this kind of vulnerability before so he doesn’t know how to process it.

This makes Clark more relatable than ever as he is now dealing with very understandable issues. Many people have anxieties about physical changes that come with age and the deterioration that inevitably comes with advancing years. Until recently, he didn’t think this was something he had to worry about but now he’s just like every human being on Earth though he doesn’t yet understand the extent of his new normal. Lois urges him to speak to Lara but he’s reluctant to do so. This is likely because he’s afraid of what he will be told similar to someone avoiding going to the Doctor for the same reason. Lois tries to put a positive spin on this situation and suggests it may be possible for them to grow old together, therefore presenting the possibility that Clark is far more mortal than he expected and may have a vastly shorter lifespan than he anticipated. One potential advantage is that he will get to experience growing old with Lois rather than watching her age and die while he remains static. It connects him to her in a way that wasn’t possible before and could end up being something to celebrate once he has adjusted.

As Clark is adjusting to his newfound Humanity, Jonathan is taking great delight in embracing his Kryptonian side. He loves the thrill of being a hero and is performing as many acts of heroism as he can. Likely due to the shorter season, there is no discussion of his readiness for taking on the role. It seems accepted that he has taken to it well which is a stark contrast to Jordan who was routinely cautioned about his actions in the field. This could be another example of things coming more easily to Jonathan but it stands out that he isn’t being critiqued on his performance or receiving the same kind of feedback that frustrated Jordan so much. It also stands out that Jordan isn’t pointing out that Jonathan isn’t getting a hard time over his actions in the field.

The tone of the conversation is very different. Lois and Clark encourage Jonathan to slow down and be aware of his limits but Jonathan is so hooked on the thrill of helping people that pure adrenalin seems to keep him active. It doesn’t last forever and he ends up blaming himself for being asleep while Lana and Sarah were being attacked so he pledges to take a step back and be more thoughtful when it comes to using his powers. It’s a very short arc and it needed far more coverage than the time allowed but the progression made sense.

Jordan’s break from heroism is also at an end and the catalyst was the attack on Lana and Sarah. He concludes that he has been hiding away and blames himself for not being aware of dangers even close to home due to not listening and decides that it’s time to stop doing that, particularly with Clark saying they all need to be ready for whatever Lex has planned for them. In Clark’s more vulnerable state, all three of them will be needed to face what’s coming.

The show still has time for purely human problems and gives some attention to decisions that teenagers are faced with. Sarah feels directionless and frustrated with the mundanity of her life, most of which is currently spent working in a diner. She talks about feeling unsettled after crashing her car and feels the need to do something life-changing. Her idea is to study abroad so that she can learn a new language, meet new people and generally broaden her life experience. Lana is blindsided by this and is forced to face the fact that her daughter is growing up. She’s naturally resistant to Sarah’s idea but comes to realise that she shouldn’t stand in her daughter’s way so offers her support in anything Sarah wants to do.

Sarah’s conversation with Jordan where she highlights how trapped she feels and that she envies Jordan’s ability to go anywhere in the world whenever he wants is very strong. It comes after Jordan asks her if he can work in the diner -why this is Sarah’s decision to make isn’t explained- and she can’t believe why he’d want to do that whe there are infinite options at his disposal. She points out that most people in Smallville have never left and it’s clear that she doesn’t want that to be her. Jordan points out that Sarah doesn’t need powers to leave Smallville and see the world which puts the idea in her head of studying abroad. Her response to feeling trapped is to try to escape to see what else the world has to offer her.

Reducing the contribution of much of the cast in this season is undeniably a drawback but the show resembles most of its former self when Lana and Sarah appear in an episode. They represent an important perspective as a family unit that isn’t the Kents and are both interesting characters in their own right. Sarah wanting to broaden her horizons and Lana experiencing the flood of emotions that come with the realising that your child isn’t a child any more and will soon be forging their own path in life is a massively relatable situation that this episode handles well. The same observations about lacking the necessary time to develop this properly attributed to other plot points apply but as a simple life event that contains a plethora of emotions, this works really well. Whether there will be much more time to explore Sarah and Lana’s futures in the remaining four episodes remains to be seen but it’s good to see the writers are making the best of the limitations imposed on them.

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Verdict

A strong episode that impressively covers the depths of Lex’s obsession while furthering the fresh challenges Clark is dealing with in compelling ways.

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